Stoic
by Anjel
Summary: My futuristic fanfic of a futuristic anime.. ah well.. anyway.. there's new Gundams and new pilots...and the Gundams' have personalities....
1. Part 1

# The Stoic 

## by Anjel

Well...Um... This is my futuristic version of a futuristic story. Did that make sense? Anywho.... The Gundam pilots, and the whole Gundam thing..isn't mine... So don't sue me!! You can't have my collection of dust!! It's mine, I tell you!! MINE!! Oh... sorry...  
In other notes, things you may need to know... ~ see that squiggly line? Any words inbetween two of those are telepathy...Kay...Now on with my..er.. The Insanity! Oh...and anything centered...that's a dream sequence... Tee hee.

* * *

"You can't do this," she cried.

"Welcome to reality, Baby." the man smirked at her. "We can, and we just have."

"You can't draft people for this kind of thing!" She ran after him.

"Face it, they've been drafted," He walked off smugly.

She glared at his back and raced inside. After running up the stairs, she started packing. Three suitcases lay on the bed, as she stuffs clothing into hers. She ran to another room and grabbed her make-up, throwing it on top of her clothes.

"I hate Advanced Calculus. I have tons of homework tonight," a girl's voice, downstairs, complained.

"Girls?" She ran downstairs and tried to smile cheerfully. "Don't bother with your homework..we're..moving."

***

Sammy woke up with a start. _That stupid dream again._ She stared at the maching as it registered that she was awake and gas started filling the room again. She thought about holding her breath, but knew that didn't work. She'd tried that before and finally passed out, and _then_ was drugged. She vaguely wondered what day it was. She tried to shrug, but realized that took too much effort and let herself accept the forced slumber.

* * *

The tears streaming down her face, couldn't stop the inner burning pain, the massive hurt inside. It couldn't stop the heavens weaping on her huddled form; it couldn't stop. Weeping, and trying to hid in the soaked clothes she wore, she curled in a ball. The rain continued falling, as did her tears.

The sun refused to show its shining face, the sky darkened in grays; the wind blowing angrily at her. Her body, battered and bruised, hurt no where near as painfully as did her heart, shattered into shards. Heartbroken, she picked herself up, wishing for oblivion. But the world went on, ignoring her plight. Little children frolicked in the rain, adults ran to the safety of cars and buildings, and dogs spashed in puddles.

"How sad," she thought. "That I can walk around looking as I do; crying as I am, and no one stops to ask what's wrong. Nobody acknowledged by pain."

Limping along, she pulled her jacket around her tighter, and tugged her old suitcase behind her. "Alone," she thought. "What a depressing word." The rain mingled with her tears and she tasted them on her lips. The bitter salty taste filled her mouth and she liked her dry lips.

She tried to think of her mother, who, after all, left her here. She remembered being urged to run. They'd already left her sister elsewhere and her mom told her to hide; running on. She'd brought the men after her... But, some men had stayed behind and after being beaten up, she had managed to crawl away to an alley.

She grimaced as she tried to put weight on her left foot. Turning around, she saw the men running after her. She ran, limping painfully, and fell. "Mother," she murmurred.

***

Sammy woke up crying. She listened to the machine, still sobbing. As the gas came back in, she whispered. "Memories..." As her body relaxed, she thought of her sister and smiled. She exhaled softly, and mumbled, "Kat..."

* * *

Garrison frowned at the unconscious girl. "What good are they if they're drugged?!" he asked no one in particular.

"Lighten up. Is she ready?" McGregor asked.

"As ready as the Phoenix pilot was," he answered, saracastically.

"Who's this one?" McGregor asked curiously.

"Does it matter?" Garrison frowned. "Obviously she's not a fighter, like Danny. I'm not sure she'll make much of a fighter pilot."

"The Stoic's ready for her," McGregor commented. "Mot much of a fighter, huh? From what I heard she came in barely alive."

"What?!!"

"Well... The thugs, er -guys, sent after her, beat her up pretty good after they caught her again the second time. And from what I can tell, the first time wasn't so easy for her either."

Garison studied the unconscious girl in the men's grasp. Her blonde curls covered her face and her slumped over form didn't seem to boast of height. She had to be shorter than Danny: maybe 5'6", 5'5". She was wearing standard issue prisoner clothes: Gray sweats.

"She doesn't look hurt to me," Garrison commented.

McGregor laughed. "Now? Of course not. What, you think she came yesterday?!"

"Well...when did she come then?" he asked, annoyed.

"Same day Danny did, just a few hours later. She's been unconscious since then. Drugged ot her toes! They've had nurses cleaning and feeding her since then." McGregor was no longer smiling. "Poor girl."

"Hook her up," Garrison commanded, dismissively. It wasn't his job to care. He looked pityingly at the girl. She looked so vulnerable; so small...

"Yes sir." He looked to the men. "Just drag that poor defenseless girl over here."

"That's enough, McGregor."

"You think she can handle it, Garrison?"

"Danny did." Garrison started walking away.

"Danny wasn't drugged for a half year, wasn't so young; wasn't so small. As you said sir, Danny was a fighter."

Garrison paused. "So it seems, is this one."

"Yes, but how much fighting can you do against a drug machine and lose, before you quit fighting? Before you don't care anymore?"

Garrison kept walking, trying not to let those words get to him. _It doesn't matter. Once she's one with the Stoic, she'll fight._

McGregor watched him leave until he was out the door; then turned to the girl. "Looks like it's your turn, little girl." She groaned as he hooked her up, but didn't move. "What've they done to you?" he asked sadly. He shook his head and forced himself to be cheerful. "Just one more...and there! Now we'll turn on the Stoic and let it merge with you..."

* * *

~~Wake up!~~ the insistant voice commanded.

~~Go away~~ Sammy thought.

~~Wake up! We're being attacked~~

~~Let them. I'm sick of fighting losing battles~~

~~You won't lose. You have _me_ now.~~

Sammy blinked her eyes a few times. This wasn't her room, nor was it her prison cell. "W-wher-" her voice croaked. Someone poured liquid down her throat. ~~It's water~~ the voice answered her unspoken question. Sammy tried again. "W-where am I?"

"Hey there, Green Eyes. I'm your nurse, Mikah. We were hoping you'd wake up. We're under attack." The man smiled at her.

~~Do you know where I'm at?~~

~~Checking...Confirmed. Wing 5, room 12: the Sick Bay~~

~~Who are you?~~

~~I am part of you...We are the Stoic~~

~~Oh~~

"We must leave now," Mikah picked her up easily.

"Where?"

"Away from the battle. You're a very important girl, Green Eyes."

"The Stoic wants to fight." She felt the Stoic's insistang pushing stop. It'd gotten what it wanted. ~~She~~

~~What?~~

~~We are female~~

~~Oh~~

"The Stoic? It's talking to you?" Mikah grinned.

"So it...er, she says..."

"She? Most are called _he's _if they're given a sexual pronoun." He seemed curious.

"We are female." Sammy answered with a grin.

"Okay," he continued to carry her. He had paused before continuing when she'd commented on fighting.

"Where are we going?" she asked again.

"To find the Stoic. She obviously wants you with her."

~~We will be united~~

~~That's nice~~ Sammy thought.

"There she is," he pointed to one of the body suits.

~~Oh! You're pretty!!~~ Sammy exclaimed.

~~Thank you. We are pretty~~

Sammy walked towards the Stoic, reverently. _That's part of me?_ she thought, amazed.

~~We are one~~

She reached out to touch it. Running her fingertips over the cool metal, she sighed. ~~How beautiful... May I...?~~

~~Of course~~ A door opened in the side.

"Oh. How'd you do that?" Mikah asked.

"Wait!! You can't get in yet! We have to do testing!!!" Garrison yelled out.

~~We don't need testing!~~ the Stoic commented, insulted.

~~Shh~~ Sammy jumped down. "Who are you?"

"Corporal Garrison; who are you?"

"We are the Stoic," she answered simply.

"Not again!!!"

"I think he means: What's your name, Green Eyes," Mikah tried to help.

"I am called Sammy." ~~How much longer will this take?~~

~~I don't know, Humans are improbable~~

A man in uniform ran to Garrison and handed him a clipboard and pen. "Sir."

"Ensighn." They saluted eachother and the man left. Garrison turned to Sammy. "Full name?"

"Samantha Anjel Price. Samantha: S-A-M-A-N-T-H-A, Anjel: A-N-J-E-L, Price: P-R-I-C-E."

"Thank God. I don't know what in the hell I would've done had you not known your name," he sighed. "Mother's maiden name?"

"Don't you have this on record or something?" Sammy frowned.

"You're records were destroyed. To the world, you never existed."

"Swanson. Her name was Linnea Swanson." She watched him scribble that down. "Aren't we being attacked?"

"It'll take them awhile to get through. The other pilots are out there."

~~They need us. Tell him that~~

"The Stoic says they need us," she complied.

"It does? It speaks to you?" Garrison sounded ecstatic.

"She does. But that's not the point. The point is, THEY NEED US!!" Frustrated, Sammy folded her arms and tapped her foot.

"Forget it. It's time for you to get out of here." He listened intently to the battle going on outside. "Get in the Stoic and follow the jet. Those are orders!!" Garrison managed to yell before Sammy was enclosed inside. He grabbed Mikah and ran to the waiting jet.

Sammy pulled on the earset and studied the inside. "Okay, where's your 'ON' button?"

~~I _am_ on~~

"Oh. Can you talk out loud?" Sammy asked curiously.

"In here."

"And can others hear you?"

"In here."

"Just checking. Okay, can I put you on auto and let you follow the jet?"

"You can put me on auto."

"How?"

"I'm on auto...now."

Sammy felt the power of the Stoic under her. She looked out and noticed they were turning slowly away from the jets pathway. "What are you doing?"

"They need us."

"We have orders!"

"_You_ have orders."

"You're part of me, therefore, _you_ have orders too."

"We are still civilans."

"Are you saying we don't have to follow orders?" Sammy asked, shocked.

"They need us, can't you hear them?"

Suddenly the speakers turned on. "Deathscythe here. I got it!" a voice yelled out.

"Somebody block that! We've had no confirmation that the Stoic and pilot are out! Block that!"

"Aah! Deathscythe hit!! Damn!"

Sammy shuddered. "Can I talk to them?"

"You can; do you want to now?"

"First move our pathway with the jet."

"But they need us!"

"I'll handle it!" The Stoic righted itself and was now following the jet. "Now put me through."

~~Now~~

"This is the pilot of the Stoic, we are out. I repeat, we are out."

"This is Deathscythe, please confirm. Damnt! I'm hit again! Please confirm."

"The Stoic is out!" ~~Confirm it for them~~

~~All right~~ "Attention. This is the Stoic, we are safe."

"W-what?"

"Get out of there!!" Sammy yelled.

"You heard him, mission's over. Let's go."

"Heero, you don't run this mission."

"No, but I do." Garrison's voice came through. "Sammy and the Stoic are safe, now get out of there." He paused. "And Sammy? What in the hell were you doing?!!"

"Fighting the Stoic! I was trying to follow your orders; next time, give _both_ of us orders!!"

"Stoic?"

"Garrison?" the Stoic replied.

"Hell."

* * *

I'll continue typing it up...later... ::evilly grins:: You like? [Email me.][1]

   [1]: mailto:AnjelEva@yahoo.com



	2. Part 2

# The Stoic 

## by Anjel

Well...Um... This is my futuristic version of a futuristic story. Did that make sense? Anywho.... The Gundam pilots, and the whole Gundam thing..isn't mine... So don't sue me!! You can't have my collection of dust!! It's mine, I tell you!! MINE!! Oh... sorry...  
In other notes, things you may need to know... ~ see that squiggly line? Any words inbetween two of those are telepathy...Kay...Now on with my..er.. The Insanity! Oh...and anything centered...that's a dream sequence... Tee hee.

* * *

3 months later...

"Well, well...who's this?" a voice asked.

Mikah and Sammy both looked up from the table. "Rory, what are you doing here?" Mikah asked.

"Hey there Mike, who's the broad?"

"It's _Mikah_ and this is Sammy." Sammy smiled and looked back down. Sitting Indian-style, she pulled the clipboard on her lap, studying it.

"Yo, do you talk?" he grinned down at her.

Sammy merely nodded and went back to work. She looked up, grabbed a pen, and scribbled on the first page. Thumbing through the other pages, she stopped at a drawing and studied it.

Rory shrugged and looked at Mikah. "So you and Sam, here, you a couple?"

"Rory, don't you have anything better to do?" Mikah asked, going through his own clipboard.

~~Sammy...Sammy? SAMMY!!~~

~~What?~~

~~There's an injured pilot out there~~

"Not really, but if you do, me and Sam can get to know eachother..." Rory smirked.

"Rory-" Mikah began.

"Mikah, I gotta go." Sammy looked a little tired.

"You need rest."

"There's an injured pilot out there; I gotta go."

"Be careful, Green Eyes."

Sammy raced towards her Gundam; as she left the room she heard, "Green Eyes? Then you two _are_...?"

"Shut up." She grinned at Mikah's tone before climbing into her Gundam.

"NO! Phoenix!! I can't take this! No more! No more." the plea ran through Sammy's spine.

"Phoenix? This is the Stoic...do you need help?"

"LEAVE US ALONE!!" the inhuman voice screamed.

Sammy shuddered. "This is the pilot of the Stoic calling the pilot of the Phoenix. Do you require assistance?" she tried again.

"Make...IT...**STOP!!!**" the pilot's agonized voice came through.

~~STAY OUT OF THIS!!~~ the Phoenix's voice echoed inside Sammy's head.

"No! Get out of my head!!" Tears streaming down her face, she said, "I thought only _my_ Gundam can talk to me..."

~~I am talking through her.~~

Sammy's whole body started shaking. "Oh God!! The pain!!" The voice that forced itself into her head, laughed. "I...Don't...Believe...You!!" She grit her teeth against the pain. "Stoic would..._Never_..do this...to me!!'

~~The Stoic isn't strong enough to withstand ME~~

A whisper came throught. ~~get out of me before it's too late...~~

~~SHUTUP!!~~

"Aaaah! What've you done to her?!!" Sammy could barely stand the pain.

~~Worry about yourself, Baka~~

~~....I....~~ Stoic tried to say.

"No!! Stoic!! Come back..."

~~She's dying...~~

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!! STOIC!!! No, please...Stoic...!!"

~~I...will...miss...you....~~

"God no!! Stoic," she sobbed.

~~You will die too!~~ The pain increased.

"Stoic!!" Sammy murmurred, barely conscious.

~~...self destr....~~ Silence.

"Stoic? Stoic?!!" She forced the door open.

~~What are you doing?!!~~

Holding tightly to a control, she threw herself out. Landing in a huddled form, she rolled away. With the last of her strength, she pushed the self destruct button.

~~NO! YOU HAVE TO DIE!! YOU HAVE TO-~~

### BOOM!!

* * *

"Stoic," She murmurred. The insane laughter echoed in her head. She tried to talk to Stoic, but her head hurt too bad. "Stoic..."

"Careful, Green Eyes; wake up." the soft voice pleaded on.

Sammy tried to move. "AAAAH!" she screamed. "It hurts...uh...it HURTS!!"

"Don't move!" Mikah commanded.

She struggled to get away from the pain, not realizing that it was in her, or that she was its cause. "Oh, it hurts..." she whimpered.

"Is she oka- Oh God, look at her!!" Rory grimaced.

"Her arm will heal, the scratches will fade, and her hair will grow back," Mikah looked at her sadly. "But the Stoic? That will never heal completely."

"It's just a machine. Look what it did to her!! What happened? Did she get in the way when one of the pilots was testing it out?" Rory asked with morbid curiousity.

"Stoic..."

"She _is_ the pilot of the Stoic... or was, before it blew up."

"No wonder she's hurt. A female piloting a Gundam?!!" He shook his head.

"She was doing a fine job until-"

"That's classified," Garrison walked in and loked at the girl.

She was laying on her back, chanting, "Stoic." Her face, torn up from the scratching bushes, was held in a steady grimace of pain. Her right arm was in a machine, getting healed and her left was clutching and unclutching the sheet. Her hair was cut hapharzardly about her face, leaving her short curls resting on the pillow.

Garrison looked down at the medical sheet. Her body was covered with bruises and her left ankle was twisted. He looked back at her battered form. "How long until that arm is healed?"

"Another day...but she won't be able to walk for-" Mikah began.

"She'll walk. She needs to continue her training. Give her the medicinal baths to heal those bruises and scratches." Garrison walked out.

"But what about her twisted ankle?" Mikal yelled at his retreating back.

"She can limp," was his only reply.

"Mikah?" her small voice asked.

He turned quickly towards her, his quick smile on his face. "Green Eyes! You're awake!" She groaned, trying to sit up. "Don't move, just lay there and heal," he commanded.

"Mikah?" her voice, raspy, called out.

"Yes?" he said, looking for signs of more injuries.

"Is...is Stoic...?" she asked, softly; scared.

"I'm sorry...She's...gone..." he tried to tell her gently.

Her sobs filled the room, echoing back against the silence. "No!" Tears falling down her face, she tried talking to Stoic, regardless of the pain. ~~Stoic?~~ No friendly hello; no Stoic. ~~STOIC?!!~~ The pain was excruciating, but not as painful as the silence; as the loss. "Ssstooooooic!" she cried. "Nooooo!!" Sobs racked her body as her tears salted her lips. She closed her eyes, hiding from the truth.

"Sammy? Sammy?!! Sammy, calm down!!" Mikah tried.

"Oh, no...Stoic!! I'm empty, nothing left but pain..." she cried harder. "Stoic? Why'd you leave me alone? No!! You can't leave me!! You can't go!! I _need_ you!! Stoic!!!!" she yelled.

"Sammy-"

"That's my exit line...exit stage right," Rory ran out the door on the left.

"Sammy, it'll be alright..."

"It will never be _all_ right!!" she closed her eyes again. "Stoic!!" ~~STOIC!!~~ "Please...I need you!!" she called out. "Oh, Stoic..." she whispered dejectedly.

***

"We made a replica like the Stoic, as you ordered. We were going to call it Yldman, but you said to call it... Stoic II...?" the blonde man asked.

"That's right: Stoic II." Garrison turned away from him and whispered, "I only wish it _was_ the Stoic...or that we could give it the Stoic's personality..."

Mikah carried in the solemn girl. The bruises, all but healed, were shown in her shorts. Her arm, healed now, showed slight scars close to the tangtop sleeves. The scratches on her face left no trace, and the curls laid softly against her cheeks. But her lips carried no smile and her eyes showed the bottomless soul left of the half-dead girl.

Set carefully on the floor, she favored her left foot. Her bare feet pitter-pattered as she limped over towards Garrison, holding firm to Mikah. "You wanted me?" her emotionless voice asked.

'No, I want the Sammy you used to be,' he thought. "Yes," he murmurred an affirmative.

"This is the Stoic II," the blonde man smiled.

"Desmond, that will be all," Garrison commanded softly.

"Can...Can I be...alone?" Sammy asked quietly. 

'When aren't you?' Garrison shook slightly at the thought, and all of them left her, as she stared at the lifeless Gundam.

She whispered dejectedly to herself, thinking about her feelings, "The sadness, the tears. So much pain. My worries; other's worries. Everyone else's problems. Shhh! Don't tell. It hurts inside. Pain. So sad. please make it stop. I can't handle this. Worries; troubles, all piled up on top of me. So much. I'm sinking with other peoples' misery and mine is slowly drownding me. Choking with pain, aching for relief. It would be so easy to let it consume me, to breathe in.

"Lost, lost in the abyss, the world of darkness. Running, screaming; alone. I hurt inside. Inside, down deep where I lock away my emotions. I cry into my pillow, weeping away as much pain as I can. I sleep, but can't rest. Nightmares attack me; worries plague my dreams. I can't escape the world everyone pushed me into.

"I go out at daytime, forcing a smile. Such loneliness. Can't anyone hear my heart screaming out? I'm scared. You want me to listen? To help heal your hurts? Why not? I can't go much farther down. Surrounded by darkness, lost in the black hold: crying. That's the only place my emotions run rampant. Alone, I confront my pain. I fight; I lose. Battered, I go back out in the world with cheerfulness forced.

"Can I help you? Here, let me take your pain away. Let my soothing voice and seeming calmness ease your troubles.

"Oh God...it hurts..."

~~Gods, how'd I get stuck with the depressed, suicidal psychopath?~~

~~GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!~~ Sammy clutched her head, waiting for the pain.

~~Calm yourself, peaches. I'm not the one going _insane_, sweetie~~

She frowned at the names. ~~Who are you?~~

~~Why, Stoic II, honey~~

~~But...but you're _male_!~~

~~You noticed!! And here I thought I'd have to be blantant on that point~~ he seemed to smirk.

~~You're not going to be one of those arrogant males who thinks they know what's best for me, are you?~~

~~No, I'm going to be one of those guys who _knows_ what's best for you, darling~~

~~Oh great. And you can quit with the names already! My name's Sammy; if you _have_ to talk to me...try using it.~~

~~Sure thing, hon~~

"Who thought I needed to meet an arrogant jerk personality?!! I know that wasn't on my top ten list!!" she said, exasperated. "And when did I get hooked up to you? I know I wouldn't _willingly_ deal with you if I didn't have to."

~~You were unconscious, getting your arm healed. It doesn't take that long, you know~~

"Oh, great." she sarcastically said.

"Sammy?" Mikah poked his head into the room.

~~Who's that doofus?~~

Ignoring him, Sammy answered, "Yes, Mikah?"

~~What kind of name is that?! Sounds girly to me...~~

~~Shut up~~ She sighed.

"You okay?" Mikah asked, walking towards her. "You seemed somewhat upset..."

~~Somewhat?! What is this guy, king of the understatement?!! You were whining in psychopathic mumbo-jumbo!!~~

~~MUMBO-JUMBO?!!~~ "I'll be fine, Mikah," she answered.

"So...you've met...Stoic II?" Mikah asked tentavely.

~~Who told him about me?! He's checking up on you...Lose the loser!~~

"Yeah...Who's idea was it to give him _that_ personality?!!"

"Him?!! They didn't tell me it was a he!" Mikah commented, angrily.

~~Ooo! Jealous of a machine...and a good looking one at that!!~~ he seemed to smirk.

~~Stoic!~~

~~Excuse me while I gloat!~~

The intercom turned on. "This is God! I'm here to apologize to you, Mikah. You were meant to be a girl... I don't know what exactly happened, but..."

"What?!!!" Mikah yelled, offended.

"Stoic!!" Sammy yelled.

The room was filled with his chuckling. "All right, all right..." the intercom went dead.

"I'm going to go talk to Garrison about this," he stalked off.

"Don't be mad at me Mikah!" she yelled at his back.

~~Poor sport~~

"And you!" She glared at the machine.

~~Yes?~~ he purred.

"You..."

~~Yes?~~

"You..."

~~Yes?~~

She burst out laughing. ~~That was... Oh my gosh...~~

~~Thought you'd enjoy that...~~

Still laughing, she leaned against him, and looked up as Garrison said, "As far as I can see, there's no problem."

"But you gave her a _male_ Gundam!!" Mikah, still upset, complained.

~~Girly man is back...~~

~~Shh...~~ She grinned.

It's okay Mikah..." she tried to calm him down.

~~He's just jealous because I'm more of a man then he'll ever be!!~~


	3. Part 3

Title: **Stoic**  
Category: Anime/Manga » Gundam Wing/AC  
Author: Anjel  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T  
Genre: General  
Published: 01-03-01, Updated: 02-06-02  
Chapters: 3, Words: 5,119

* * *

**Chapter 1: Part 1**

* * *

The Stoic by Anjel

Well...Um... This is my futuristic version of a futuristic story. Did that make sense? Anywho.... The Gundam pilots, and the whole Gundam thing..isn't mine... So don't sue me!! You can't have my collection of dust!! It's mine, I tell you!! MINE!! Oh... sorry...  
In other notes, things you may need to know... ~ see that squiggly line? Any words inbetween two of those are telepathy...Kay...Now on with my..er.. The Insanity! Oh...and anything centered...that's a dream sequence... Tee hee.

* * *

"You can't do this," she cried.

"Welcome to reality, Baby." the man smirked at her. "We can, and we just have."

"You can't draft people for this kind of thing!" She ran after him.

"Face it, they've been drafted," He walked off smugly.

She glared at his back and raced inside. After running up the stairs, she started packing. Three suitcases lay on the bed, as she stuffs clothing into hers. She ran to another room and grabbed her make-up, throwing it on top of her clothes.

"I hate Advanced Calculus. I have tons of homework tonight," a girl's voice, downstairs, complained.

"Girls?" She ran downstairs and tried to smile cheerfully. "Don't bother with your homework..we're..moving."

***

Sammy woke up with a start. _That stupid dream again._ She stared at the maching as it registered that she was awake and gas started filling the room again. She thought about holding her breath, but knew that didn't work. She'd tried that before and finally passed out, and _then_ was drugged. She vaguely wondered what day it was. She tried to shrug, but realized that took too much effort and let herself accept the forced slumber.

* * *

The tears streaming down her face, couldn't stop the inner burning pain, the massive hurt inside. It couldn't stop the heavens weaping on her huddled form; it couldn't stop. Weeping, and trying to hid in the soaked clothes she wore, she curled in a ball. The rain continued falling, as did her tears.

The sun refused to show its shining face, the sky darkened in grays; the wind blowing angrily at her. Her body, battered and bruised, hurt no where near as painfully as did her heart, shattered into shards. Heartbroken, she picked herself up, wishing for oblivion. But the world went on, ignoring her plight. Little children frolicked in the rain, adults ran to the safety of cars and buildings, and dogs spashed in puddles.

"How sad," she thought. "That I can walk around looking as I do; crying as I am, and no one stops to ask what's wrong. Nobody acknowledged by pain."

Limping along, she pulled her jacket around her tighter, and tugged her old suitcase behind her. "Alone," she thought. "What a depressing word." The rain mingled with her tears and she tasted them on her lips. The bitter salty taste filled her mouth and she liked her dry lips.

She tried to think of her mother, who, after all, left her here. She remembered being urged to run. They'd already left her sister elsewhere and her mom told her to hide; running on. She'd brought the men after her... But, some men had stayed behind and after being beaten up, she had managed to crawl away to an alley.

She grimaced as she tried to put weight on her left foot. Turning around, she saw the men running after her. She ran, limping painfully, and fell. "Mother," she murmurred.

***

Sammy woke up crying. She listened to the machine, still sobbing. As the gas came back in, she whispered. "Memories..." As her body relaxed, she thought of her sister and smiled. She exhaled softly, and mumbled, "Kat..."

* * *

Garrison frowned at the unconscious girl. "What good are they if they're drugged?!" he asked no one in particular.

"Lighten up. Is she ready?" McGregor asked.

"As ready as the Phoenix pilot was," he answered, saracastically.

"Who's this one?" McGregor asked curiously.

"Does it matter?" Garrison frowned. "Obviously she's not a fighter, like Danny. I'm not sure she'll make much of a fighter pilot."

"The Stoic's ready for her," McGregor commented. "Mot much of a fighter, huh? From what I heard she came in barely alive."

"What?!!"

"Well... The thugs, er -guys, sent after her, beat her up pretty good after they caught her again the second time. And from what I can tell, the first time wasn't so easy for her either."

Garison studied the unconscious girl in the men's grasp. Her blonde curls covered her face and her slumped over form didn't seem to boast of height. She had to be shorter than Danny: maybe 5'6", 5'5". She was wearing standard issue prisoner clothes: Gray sweats.

"She doesn't look hurt to me," Garrison commented.

McGregor laughed. "Now? Of course not. What, you think she came yesterday?!"

"Well...when did she come then?" he asked, annoyed.

"Same day Danny did, just a few hours later. She's been unconscious since then. Drugged ot her toes! They've had nurses cleaning and feeding her since then." McGregor was no longer smiling. "Poor girl."

"Hook her up," Garrison commanded, dismissively. It wasn't his job to care. He looked pityingly at the girl. She looked so vulnerable; so small...

"Yes sir." He looked to the men. "Just drag that poor defenseless girl over here."

"That's enough, McGregor."

"You think she can handle it, Garrison?"

"Danny did." Garrison started walking away.

"Danny wasn't drugged for a half year, wasn't so young; wasn't so small. As you said sir, Danny was a fighter."

Garrison paused. "So it seems, is this one."

"Yes, but how much fighting can you do against a drug machine and lose, before you quit fighting? Before you don't care anymore?"

Garrison kept walking, trying not to let those words get to him. _It doesn't matter. Once she's one with the Stoic, she'll fight._

McGregor watched him leave until he was out the door; then turned to the girl. "Looks like it's your turn, little girl." She groaned as he hooked her up, but didn't move. "What've they done to you?" he asked sadly. He shook his head and forced himself to be cheerful. "Just one more...and there! Now we'll turn on the Stoic and let it merge with you..."

* * *

~~Wake up!~~ the insistant voice commanded.

~~Go away~~ Sammy thought.

~~Wake up! We're being attacked~~

~~Let them. I'm sick of fighting losing battles~~

~~You won't lose. You have _me_ now.~~

Sammy blinked her eyes a few times. This wasn't her room, nor was it her prison cell. "W-wher-" her voice croaked. Someone poured liquid down her throat. ~~It's water~~ the voice answered her unspoken question. Sammy tried again. "W-where am I?"

"Hey there, Green Eyes. I'm your nurse, Mikah. We were hoping you'd wake up. We're under attack." The man smiled at her.

~~Do you know where I'm at?~~

~~Checking...Confirmed. Wing 5, room 12: the Sick Bay~~

~~Who are you?~~

~~I am part of you...We are the Stoic~~

~~Oh~~

"We must leave now," Mikah picked her up easily.

"Where?"

"Away from the battle. You're a very important girl, Green Eyes."

"The Stoic wants to fight." She felt the Stoic's insistang pushing stop. It'd gotten what it wanted. ~~She~~

~~What?~~

~~We are female~~

~~Oh~~

"The Stoic? It's talking to you?" Mikah grinned.

"So it...er, she says..."

"She? Most are called _he's _if they're given a sexual pronoun." He seemed curious.

"We are female." Sammy answered with a grin.

"Okay," he continued to carry her. He had paused before continuing when she'd commented on fighting.

"Where are we going?" she asked again.

"To find the Stoic. She obviously wants you with her."

~~We will be united~~

~~That's nice~~ Sammy thought.

"There she is," he pointed to one of the body suits.

~~Oh! You're pretty!!~~ Sammy exclaimed.

~~Thank you. We are pretty~~

Sammy walked towards the Stoic, reverently. _That's part of me?_ she thought, amazed.

~~We are one~~

She reached out to touch it. Running her fingertips over the cool metal, she sighed. ~~How beautiful... May I...?~~

~~Of course~~ A door opened in the side.

"Oh. How'd you do that?" Mikah asked.

"Wait!! You can't get in yet! We have to do testing!!!" Garrison yelled out.

~~We don't need testing!~~ the Stoic commented, insulted.

~~Shh~~ Sammy jumped down. "Who are you?"

"Corporal Garrison; who are you?"

"We are the Stoic," she answered simply.

"Not again!!!"

"I think he means: What's your name, Green Eyes," Mikah tried to help.

"I am called Sammy." ~~How much longer will this take?~~

~~I don't know, Humans are improbable~~

A man in uniform ran to Garrison and handed him a clipboard and pen. "Sir."

"Ensighn." They saluted eachother and the man left. Garrison turned to Sammy. "Full name?"

"Samantha Anjel Price. Samantha: S-A-M-A-N-T-H-A, Anjel: A-N-J-E-L, Price: P-R-I-C-E."

"Thank God. I don't know what in the hell I would've done had you not known your name," he sighed. "Mother's maiden name?"

"Don't you have this on record or something?" Sammy frowned.

"You're records were destroyed. To the world, you never existed."

"Swanson. Her name was Linnea Swanson." She watched him scribble that down. "Aren't we being attacked?"

"It'll take them awhile to get through. The other pilots are out there."

~~They need us. Tell him that~~

"The Stoic says they need us," she complied.

"It does? It speaks to you?" Garrison sounded ecstatic.

"She does. But that's not the point. The point is, THEY NEED US!!" Frustrated, Sammy folded her arms and tapped her foot.

"Forget it. It's time for you to get out of here." He listened intently to the battle going on outside. "Get in the Stoic and follow the jet. Those are orders!!" Garrison managed to yell before Sammy was enclosed inside. He grabbed Mikah and ran to the waiting jet.

Sammy pulled on the earset and studied the inside. "Okay, where's your 'ON' button?"

~~I _am_ on~~

"Oh. Can you talk out loud?" Sammy asked curiously.

"In here."

"And can others hear you?"

"In here."

"Just checking. Okay, can I put you on auto and let you follow the jet?"

"You can put me on auto."

"How?"

"I'm on auto...now."

Sammy felt the power of the Stoic under her. She looked out and noticed they were turning slowly away from the jets pathway. "What are you doing?"

"They need us."

"We have orders!"

"_You_ have orders."

"You're part of me, therefore, _you_ have orders too."

"We are still civilans."

"Are you saying we don't have to follow orders?" Sammy asked, shocked.

"They need us, can't you hear them?"

Suddenly the speakers turned on. "Deathscythe here. I got it!" a voice yelled out.

"Somebody block that! We've had no confirmation that the Stoic and pilot are out! Block that!"

"Aah! Deathscythe hit!! Damn!"

Sammy shuddered. "Can I talk to them?"

"You can; do you want to now?"

"First move our pathway with the jet."

"But they need us!"

"I'll handle it!" The Stoic righted itself and was now following the jet. "Now put me through."

~~Now~~

"This is the pilot of the Stoic, we are out. I repeat, we are out."

"This is Deathscythe, please confirm. Damnt! I'm hit again! Please confirm."

"The Stoic is out!" ~~Confirm it for them~~

~~All right~~ "Attention. This is the Stoic, we are safe."

"W-what?"

"Get out of there!!" Sammy yelled.

"You heard him, mission's over. Let's go."

"Heero, you don't run this mission."

"No, but I do." Garrison's voice came through. "Sammy and the Stoic are safe, now get out of there." He paused. "And Sammy? What in the hell were you doing?!!"

"Fighting the Stoic! I was trying to follow your orders; next time, give _both_ of us orders!!"

"Stoic?"

"Garrison?" the Stoic replied.

"Hell."

* * *

I'll continue typing it up...later... ::evilly grins:: You like? Email me.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Part 2**

* * *

The Stoic by Anjel

Well...Um... This is my futuristic version of a futuristic story. Did that make sense? Anywho.... The Gundam pilots, and the whole Gundam thing..isn't mine... So don't sue me!! You can't have my collection of dust!! It's mine, I tell you!! MINE!! Oh... sorry...  
In other notes, things you may need to know... ~ see that squiggly line? Any words inbetween two of those are telepathy...Kay...Now on with my..er.. The Insanity! Oh...and anything centered...that's a dream sequence... Tee hee.

* * *

3 months later...

"Well, well...who's this?" a voice asked.

Mikah and Sammy both looked up from the table. "Rory, what are you doing here?" Mikah asked.

"Hey there Mike, who's the broad?"

"It's _Mikah_ and this is Sammy." Sammy smiled and looked back down. Sitting Indian-style, she pulled the clipboard on her lap, studying it.

"Yo, do you talk?" he grinned down at her.

Sammy merely nodded and went back to work. She looked up, grabbed a pen, and scribbled on the first page. Thumbing through the other pages, she stopped at a drawing and studied it.

Rory shrugged and looked at Mikah. "So you and Sam, here, you a couple?"

"Rory, don't you have anything better to do?" Mikah asked, going through his own clipboard.

~~Sammy...Sammy? SAMMY!!~~

~~What?~~

~~There's an injured pilot out there~~

"Not really, but if you do, me and Sam can get to know eachother..." Rory smirked.

"Rory-" Mikah began.

"Mikah, I gotta go." Sammy looked a little tired.

"You need rest."

"There's an injured pilot out there; I gotta go."

"Be careful, Green Eyes."

Sammy raced towards her Gundam; as she left the room she heard, "Green Eyes? Then you two _are_...?"

"Shut up." She grinned at Mikah's tone before climbing into her Gundam.

"NO! Phoenix!! I can't take this! No more! No more." the plea ran through Sammy's spine.

"Phoenix? This is the Stoic...do you need help?"

"LEAVE US ALONE!!" the inhuman voice screamed.

Sammy shuddered. "This is the pilot of the Stoic calling the pilot of the Phoenix. Do you require assistance?" she tried again.

"Make...IT...**STOP!!!**" the pilot's agonized voice came through.

~~STAY OUT OF THIS!!~~ the Phoenix's voice echoed inside Sammy's head.

"No! Get out of my head!!" Tears streaming down her face, she said, "I thought only _my_ Gundam can talk to me..."

~~I am talking through her.~~

Sammy's whole body started shaking. "Oh God!! The pain!!" The voice that forced itself into her head, laughed. "I...Don't...Believe...You!!" She grit her teeth against the pain. "Stoic would..._Never_..do this...to me!!'

~~The Stoic isn't strong enough to withstand ME~~

A whisper came throught. ~~get out of me before it's too late...~~

~~SHUTUP!!~~

"Aaaah! What've you done to her?!!" Sammy could barely stand the pain.

~~Worry about yourself, Baka~~

~~....I....~~ Stoic tried to say.

"No!! Stoic!! Come back..."

~~She's dying...~~

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!! STOIC!!! No, please...Stoic...!!"

~~I...will...miss...you....~~

"God no!! Stoic," she sobbed.

~~You will die too!~~ The pain increased.

"Stoic!!" Sammy murmurred, barely conscious.

~~...self destr....~~ Silence.

"Stoic? Stoic?!!" She forced the door open.

~~What are you doing?!!~~

Holding tightly to a control, she threw herself out. Landing in a huddled form, she rolled away. With the last of her strength, she pushed the self destruct button.

~~NO! YOU HAVE TO DIE!! YOU HAVE TO-~~

BOOM!!

* * *

"Stoic," She murmurred. The insane laughter echoed in her head. She tried to talk to Stoic, but her head hurt too bad. "Stoic..."

"Careful, Green Eyes; wake up." the soft voice pleaded on.

Sammy tried to move. "AAAAH!" she screamed. "It hurts...uh...it HURTS!!"

"Don't move!" Mikah commanded.

She struggled to get away from the pain, not realizing that it was in her, or that she was its cause. "Oh, it hurts..." she whimpered.

"Is she oka- Oh God, look at her!!" Rory grimaced.

"Her arm will heal, the scratches will fade, and her hair will grow back," Mikah looked at her sadly. "But the Stoic? That will never heal completely."

"It's just a machine. Look what it did to her!! What happened? Did she get in the way when one of the pilots was testing it out?" Rory asked with morbid curiousity.

"Stoic..."

"She _is_ the pilot of the Stoic... or was, before it blew up."

"No wonder she's hurt. A female piloting a Gundam?!!" He shook his head.

"She was doing a fine job until-"

"That's classified," Garrison walked in and loked at the girl.

She was laying on her back, chanting, "Stoic." Her face, torn up from the scratching bushes, was held in a steady grimace of pain. Her right arm was in a machine, getting healed and her left was clutching and unclutching the sheet. Her hair was cut hapharzardly about her face, leaving her short curls resting on the pillow.

Garrison looked down at the medical sheet. Her body was covered with bruises and her left ankle was twisted. He looked back at her battered form. "How long until that arm is healed?"

"Another day...but she won't be able to walk for-" Mikah began.

"She'll walk. She needs to continue her training. Give her the medicinal baths to heal those bruises and scratches." Garrison walked out.

"But what about her twisted ankle?" Mikal yelled at his retreating back.

"She can limp," was his only reply.

"Mikah?" her small voice asked.

He turned quickly towards her, his quick smile on his face. "Green Eyes! You're awake!" She groaned, trying to sit up. "Don't move, just lay there and heal," he commanded.

"Mikah?" her voice, raspy, called out.

"Yes?" he said, looking for signs of more injuries.

"Is...is Stoic...?" she asked, softly; scared.

"I'm sorry...She's...gone..." he tried to tell her gently.

Her sobs filled the room, echoing back against the silence. "No!" Tears falling down her face, she tried talking to Stoic, regardless of the pain. ~~Stoic?~~ No friendly hello; no Stoic. ~~STOIC?!!~~ The pain was excruciating, but not as painful as the silence; as the loss. "Ssstooooooic!" she cried. "Nooooo!!" Sobs racked her body as her tears salted her lips. She closed her eyes, hiding from the truth.

"Sammy? Sammy?!! Sammy, calm down!!" Mikah tried.

"Oh, no...Stoic!! I'm empty, nothing left but pain..." she cried harder. "Stoic? Why'd you leave me alone? No!! You can't leave me!! You can't go!! I _need_ you!! Stoic!!!!" she yelled.

"Sammy-"

"That's my exit line...exit stage right," Rory ran out the door on the left.

"Sammy, it'll be alright..."

"It will never be _all_ right!!" she closed her eyes again. "Stoic!!" ~~STOIC!!~~ "Please...I need you!!" she called out. "Oh, Stoic..." she whispered dejectedly.

***

"We made a replica like the Stoic, as you ordered. We were going to call it Yldman, but you said to call it... Stoic II...?" the blonde man asked.

"That's right: Stoic II." Garrison turned away from him and whispered, "I only wish it _was_ the Stoic...or that we could give it the Stoic's personality..."

Mikah carried in the solemn girl. The bruises, all but healed, were shown in her shorts. Her arm, healed now, showed slight scars close to the tangtop sleeves. The scratches on her face left no trace, and the curls laid softly against her cheeks. But her lips carried no smile and her eyes showed the bottomless soul left of the half-dead girl.

Set carefully on the floor, she favored her left foot. Her bare feet pitter-pattered as she limped over towards Garrison, holding firm to Mikah. "You wanted me?" her emotionless voice asked.

'No, I want the Sammy you used to be,' he thought. "Yes," he murmurred an affirmative.

"This is the Stoic II," the blonde man smiled.

"Desmond, that will be all," Garrison commanded softly.

"Can...Can I be...alone?" Sammy asked quietly.

'When aren't you?' Garrison shook slightly at the thought, and all of them left her, as she stared at the lifeless Gundam.

She whispered dejectedly to herself, thinking about her feelings, "The sadness, the tears. So much pain. My worries; other's worries. Everyone else's problems. Shhh! Don't tell. It hurts inside. Pain. So sad. please make it stop. I can't handle this. Worries; troubles, all piled up on top of me. So much. I'm sinking with other peoples' misery and mine is slowly drownding me. Choking with pain, aching for relief. It would be so easy to let it consume me, to breathe in.

"Lost, lost in the abyss, the world of darkness. Running, screaming; alone. I hurt inside. Inside, down deep where I lock away my emotions. I cry into my pillow, weeping away as much pain as I can. I sleep, but can't rest. Nightmares attack me; worries plague my dreams. I can't escape the world everyone pushed me into.

"I go out at daytime, forcing a smile. Such loneliness. Can't anyone hear my heart screaming out? I'm scared. You want me to listen? To help heal your hurts? Why not? I can't go much farther down. Surrounded by darkness, lost in the black hold: crying. That's the only place my emotions run rampant. Alone, I confront my pain. I fight; I lose. Battered, I go back out in the world with cheerfulness forced.

"Can I help you? Here, let me take your pain away. Let my soothing voice and seeming calmness ease your troubles.

"Oh God...it hurts..."

~~Gods, how'd I get stuck with the depressed, suicidal psychopath?~~

~~GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!~~ Sammy clutched her head, waiting for the pain.

~~Calm yourself, peaches. I'm not the one going _insane_, sweetie~~

She frowned at the names. ~~Who are you?~~

~~Why, Stoic II, honey~~

~~But...but you're _male_!~~

~~You noticed!! And here I thought I'd have to be blantant on that point~~ he seemed to smirk.

~~You're not going to be one of those arrogant males who thinks they know what's best for me, are you?~~

~~No, I'm going to be one of those guys who _knows_ what's best for you, darling~~

~~Oh great. And you can quit with the names already! My name's Sammy; if you _have_ to talk to me...try using it.~~

~~Sure thing, hon~~

"Who thought I needed to meet an arrogant jerk personality?!! I know that wasn't on my top ten list!!" she said, exasperated. "And when did I get hooked up to you? I know I wouldn't _willingly_ deal with you if I didn't have to."

~~You were unconscious, getting your arm healed. It doesn't take that long, you know~~

"Oh, great." she sarcastically said.

"Sammy?" Mikah poked his head into the room.

~~Who's that doofus?~~

Ignoring him, Sammy answered, "Yes, Mikah?"

~~What kind of name is that?! Sounds girly to me...~~

~~Shut up~~ She sighed.

"You okay?" Mikah asked, walking towards her. "You seemed somewhat upset..."

~~Somewhat?! What is this guy, king of the understatement?!! You were whining in psychopathic mumbo-jumbo!!~~

~~MUMBO-JUMBO?!!~~ "I'll be fine, Mikah," she answered.

"So...you've met...Stoic II?" Mikah asked tentavely.

~~Who told him about me?! He's checking up on you...Lose the loser!~~

"Yeah...Who's idea was it to give him _that_ personality?!!"

"Him?!! They didn't tell me it was a he!" Mikah commented, angrily.

~~Ooo! Jealous of a machine...and a good looking one at that!!~~ he seemed to smirk.

~~Stoic!~~

~~Excuse me while I gloat!~~

The intercom turned on. "This is God! I'm here to apologize to you, Mikah. You were meant to be a girl... I don't know what exactly happened, but..."

"What?!!!" Mikah yelled, offended.

"Stoic!!" Sammy yelled.

The room was filled with his chuckling. "All right, all right..." the intercom went dead.

"I'm going to go talk to Garrison about this," he stalked off.

"Don't be mad at me Mikah!" she yelled at his back.

~~Poor sport~~

"And you!" She glared at the machine.

~~Yes?~~ he purred.

"You..."

~~Yes?~~

"You..."

~~Yes?~~

She burst out laughing. ~~That was... Oh my gosh...~~

~~Thought you'd enjoy that...~~

Still laughing, she leaned against him, and looked up as Garrison said, "As far as I can see, there's no problem."

"But you gave her a _male_ Gundam!!" Mikah, still upset, complained.

~~Girly man is back...~~

~~Shh...~~ She grinned.

It's okay Mikah..." she tried to calm him down.

~~He's just jealous because I'm more of a man then he'll ever be!!~~

* * *

**Chapter 3: Part 3**

* * *

The Stoic  
Part III

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously with no intent to take credit for aforementioned things when they are copyrighted by someone else - and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. (Except for the Gboys, right?)

* * *

A young man, black hair pulled tight into a ponytail, walked in. He looked at the grinning girl, then at Garrison and Mikah. Shaking his head, he walked over and said (in his usual holier-than-thou tone, of course), "Duo's on his way, right behind me."

A smiling person, the gender unknown to Sammy, with a long brown braid bounced into the room. "The fuUun has arrived!!"

"Wufei... did you have to bring Duo?" Mikah grimaced.

"Orders." Wufei looked at the girl while talking, trying to figure out why she was there in the first place. A servant? Or a wife?

"Have you got the Pheonix under control?" Garrison asked seemingly ignoring the growing tension in the room.

The silence was deafening and Sammy's face went pale. She stood up and started limping towards the guys. Mikah ran over and picked her up, regardless of her struggles. Carrying her back over, he ignored, too, her protests. Wufei stopped talking and glanced at Garrison. A wife, then. Garrison's? Or Mikah's? He watched the two men carefully before looking back at the woman. What now? Couldn't she see they were busy? Women should be silent and wait to be called forward. Wufei frowned, then shrugged. She was not his wife to discipline.

"Put me down, Mikah!!" She commanded warningly. Mikah shook his head and held her tight. The jerk. "Mikah! I swear if you don't - !!"

The intercom clicked on and a voice rang out with cold fury. "Put. Her. Down. NOOOOOW!!!!" The disconnected voice put chills down all of those who stood there.

"Stoic, I can handle this!" Sammy turned, now facing her still gundam, and frowned.

"Sure you can, Princess," the voice sounded all around them. (Woot! Surround Sound, baby!!) The once unmoving gundam sprang to life and the mocking voice continued, "And this weapon I have pointing at him... it's helping you."

Mikah put her down gently, not looking away from the heavily armed mobile suit. "And you said that...Gundam.." he sneered back towards Garrison, eyes still focused on Stoic. "...was harmless!"

"Seems to me, he was protecting her," Garrison said dismissively before shrugging and turning back to the black haired youth. "Go on, Wufei."

"What..? How.. how are you going to handle the Pheonix?" Sammy asked softly, staring earnestly at Garrison.

/This is boOoring.../ Stoic commented, sing-song.

Garrison nodded to Wufei. "He was just explaining. Go on, Wufei."

"With her here, sir?!" Obviously a wife of Garrison's for him to humor her so.

"Yes, Wufei... with her here. Is there a problem?" Garrison asked quizically.

Surely not. Surely Garrison wouldn't want her here. "But she - "

"Is here now and wants to know," Garrison finished for the disgruntled Wufei. Privately, Sammy named him The Woman Hater. "Continue."

/...Hmm... Wufei... I don't think he likes you.../

/Noticeable/

"...then we'll attack it and blow it up," Wufei finished, pointedly ignoring Sammy.

/...Can I help?!!!/

/No. Hush./ "Her." Sammy corrected softly.

/Damn/

"Wha-?" Wufei asked, startled out of ignoring her.

"Pheonix is female." /Don't swear/

"How do you know this?" Wufei frowned. He knew the gundam's personality was female, which was probably why it was so unstable in fighting - but how did she know?

"I-"

"That's classified," Garrison interrupted. "Besides, that's too dangerous a plan, Wufei. How would we get Danny out?"

/...oh danny boy.../ Stoic sang in a deep baratone, almost bored witless.

Mikah watched as Sammy shivered from the beautiful voice that was singing inside her head. "Are you cold?" he asked concerned.

"No... flashbacks.. that's all." She thought about how she had to dive out of the 'old' Stoic and shivered again.

/...how sad.../ Stoic comforted her. A warm and fuzzy feeling of being hugged ran throughout her body.

"Poor Green Eyes," Mikah said consolingly.

/Back off Girly Man!!/

/He can't hear you, Sto.../

Wufei frowned. Wasn't she Garrison's woman? Why was Mikah drooling at her? Wufei was dragged out of his thoughts by the intercom clicking on, once more.

"Back off, Girly Man!" The sould of it turning off again echoed in the awkward silence.

Duo glared at the intercom. "I'm not a girly man! Just because I have this braid...!"

Sammy grinned. So Duo is male.

/Sorta./

/Hush you./ "He wasn't talking to you..."

"To me?" Wufei frowned.

"No.. he was talking about... Mikah," Sammy answered. She hadn't wanted to reply to The Woman Hater, but... this just makes her the bigger person.

/Only by about an inch or so/ Stoic chimed in, amused.

Wufei looked at her, disgruntled again. Who was this woman?! "How do you know?" He was ready to take defense and keep his honor.

"The Stoic II is her gundam," Garrison answered, trying to gain control of the situation again. He was, of course, failing miserably.

/He should've said you were my pilot!/

"She's a pilot?!" Wufei looked at her. She seemed somewhat offended, but in her white tangtop and blue jean shorts, didn't look intimidating. Her blonde curls fell in soft ringlets about her face, her green eyes looked at him insulted. His eyes followed her body - no ring on her finger. The woman was an outspoken wench who couldn't get a husband and obviously didn't know her place. Without pause, he let his eyes follow down her long legs to notice that she was balancing her weight on her right foot. Weak.

"Yes! I am a pilot! Got a problem with that?" she blustered with her arms crossed, and glared at him.

"Well, hellooOoo lady pilot!" Duo grinned at her.

/Idiot/ Sammy grinned at her gundam's comment.

"What's your gundam's name? Mine's Deathscythe," he confided congenially.

/He could've asked me!!/

/Then answer him/

A light click was heard. "I am the prototype Stoic II," he said arrogantly. That would teach them to speak of him as if he wasn't there. /Idiots/

/Indeed/ Sammy coughed to cover her laughter.

"W-what?!" Duo asked, amazed.

"The new ones have...personalities.." Garrison sighed, giving up the pretense of being able to keep things in order. This was just plain chaos.

"The Stoic II?" Wufei asked curiously. "What happened to the Stoic?" Glancing at Sammy, he noticed her wince, and turn pale. Weak woman probably crashed it before it even took off.

Sammy started shaking and bit her lip. She would not cry. /And don't you start, Sto... / "She... I..." Sammy started.

/You think me so callous to tell some joke about your pain?/ softly spoken, and then a hurt silence.

"That's classified," Garrison commented. Gods rot, how many times was he going to have to say that about Sammy?

"Let's just say she has a score to settle with the Pheonix..." Mikah said.

/Sto...?/

/.../

/Stoic! C'mon.. you can't ignore me forever!/

/Watch me./

* * *

Sammy glared at the clock. It was still 1:07 am. "Change already!" she commanded. It had to have been 1:07 for hours!! "Oh look at that!! It's 1:08!" She stared at the clock. "C'mon baby... 1:09!! Change!" The clock stubbornly stayed at 1:08.

"Oo! I'm sick of this!" Throwing the blankets off her, she swung her legs over and searched for the floor with her foot. "I've been watching that stupid clock for three hours! I can't take it anymore; I'm getting up."

Having made that decision, she felt carefully with her foot before stepping down, and limped out of her room. The dark hallways swallowed her up, making her travel unknown paths. Her hands out, searching for any dangerous barrier, she managed to misplace her whereabouts. Where was she?!

/What're you doing?/ Stoic asked.

/Finally decided to talk to me, I see./

/I got bored. What are you doing?/

/Got curious and nosy, is more like it. What's it look like I'm doing?/ She continued walking aimlessly onwards.

/It looks like you're stumbling around half naked getting lost/

/That about covers it/

/Just checking/

She turned a corner and saw a bit of light ahead. 'People!' she thought. She hoped they could direct her to her room. Hearing a familiar voice, she stopped before entering the room, listening intently.

"...And those legs!!" Duo rambled on.

"She limped," Wufei commented blandly.

"Her eyes were a beautiful green...!"

"She glared at me."

"She seems nice," a young man's voice said hesitantly.

"Quatre, you don't even know her! How can you say that?" Wufei asked, exasperated.

"She seems nice," the youth named Quatre restated stubbornly.

"She's female." Wufei said abruptly.

/I knew he was a woman hater!/

/Those who eavesdrop should only expect to hear bad about themselves, Sammy/

/I thought you weren't speaking to me.. what stopped the blessed silence?/

/.../

"So is Danny," Quatre stated calmly.

"Danny, now there's a woman with common sense," Wufei pointed out.

"Then why doesn't she use it?" another young man asked.

"Heero! That wasn't nice at all," scolded Quatre.

"Hn."

"...and her smile...!!" Duo went on, apparently oblivious to the other ongoing conversations.

"Did you wake us up and bring us down here this early just to talk about some girl you don't know?"

"Sure did, Trowa."

"...!"Anyone who could see Trowa saw him sweatdrop (classic anime style). "I'm going to bed."

"Duo..." Heero frowned.

"..Jealous, Hee-chan?" Duo grinned before glomping the unsuspecting, serious boy. "No worries. She's not my type. Too much on top and not enough....elsewhere..."

Now seemed a good time to exit, so... she did. Hiding behind the corner, she watched who she assumed to be Trowa mope towards his room. No help there. Maybe Big Mouth knew how to find her room. She sighed dejectedly. After all, she didn't really want to ask dodo brain. /Hey Stoic?/

/That's a sight better than 'Big Mouth' and 'dodo brain', I suppose/

/Stoic./

/Yes, precious/

She grimaced. /Can you lead me back to my room?/

/Sure thing, hon. Just relax and I'll take care of the big, scary dark for you and lead you straight home.../

He sounded so smug, the arrogant jerk. /...thanks.../ she said sweetly. 'I hope you break your leg,' she thought vindictively.

/Now, now, sweetie... If I break my leg, where would you be?/

/Still lost./ she retorted.

/Alright pumpkin, head straight until I tell you to stop/

She headed straight... well, at least she thought it was straight. Maybe she was limping in the wrong direction. Should she ask? NO! That would give that jerk more things to patronize her over.

/Stop/ pause. /PATRONIZE?!/

Oops. /Now which way?/ Change the subject, good plan. Yes.

/Turn right/ his voice said, sulkily.

/Are you sure? This seems familiar... shouldn't I turn left?/

/Okay, who's the smart computer and who's the cute blonde? Thanks; turn right/

She stuck her tongue out in the darkness and than turned right. /Right it is/

/Cute tongue. Now limp straight until I tell you to stop/

She headed straight. 'This can't be good for my foot,' she thought.

It isn't. Next time you decide to get lost half naked, wrap up your foot/

This is just what she needed: a male masochist reading her every thought.

/Stop. you think I want to listen to your incessant babbling nonstop? No thanks. Turn left/

/Turning/ She felt for the door opening and limped in. Her foot was really hurting her now. /Where am I?/

/Five steps away from me/

/I want to go to bed! My foot's hurting me and I need sleep!/

/Climb up, you'll sleep better/ The whoosh of a door opening sounded in the room.

She took one step, then a limp and managed to make her way to Stoic. She reached out, trying to find the way up.

/Ooo! That tickles!!/

Climbing up, she winced every other step. Pain was shooting up her foot and she felt like quitting.

You think you can, you think you can, you think you can!!/

She hurried up, just so he'd shutup. Once she in, she sat down and bit back her tears. She would not cry...

/You'd better not!! I hate seeing girls cry. Nose running; face red... it's really not that attractive. Although, you do look adorable biting your lip like that.../

She frowned at him. Would he never stop? Couldn't he see she was almost in tears? Stupid machine.

/There, that's better. now lay down and go to sleep/

She lay down and the gundam got warmer. 'Who needs blankets?' she asked herself. She groaned, she still couldn't sleep.

Stoic's deep voice enveloped her, "Goodnight sweetheart... well, it's time to go... ba do be bom bom... Goodnight sweetheart...well, it's time to go... I'd love to stay here but I really must say... Oooh... Goodnight sweetheart, Goodnight..." He hummed softly to her.

Her last coherant thought was: 'How am I going to explain this in the morning?'

* * *

Copyright © 1999 by L Ruby and K.A.  
All rights reserved. No part of this story may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, email Lacey or Katy. Thanks.


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